Updated: 10-6-2026
San Diego FTC 26-27 Season Overview
San Diego is continuing this season with the FIRST FTC League Tournament Model!
Our San Diego Region has always been about "teams helping teams,"
and this season, you will have even more opportunities to do just that!
San Diego is continuing this season with the FIRST FTC League Tournament Model!
Our San Diego Region has always been about "teams helping teams,"
and this season, you will have even more opportunities to do just that!
What's Staying the Same
Teams will compete in 3 League Meets and 1 League Tournament, on one day of each of the following 4 weekends. Teams will be provided an opportunity to pick their tournament days via the guidelines in the registration process:
Meet #1 - November 21/22, 2026 - Francis Parker School
Meet #2 - December 12/13, 2026 - Eastlake High School
Meet #3 - January 23/24, 2027 - Crawford High School
League Tournament - February 20/21, 2027 - Sage Creek High School
No official playoffs will occur at Meets 1-3
Teams will compete 5-6 times at each of their 3 "meets" to earn a total of 15-18 scored matches
The top 10 scores out of these will be the team's starting score for their subsequent League Tournaments (Championships)
League Tournaments will include judging, playoffs and potential advancement to the SD Regional scheduled for March 7th, 2027. Please read the advancement and league tournament portions of this year's Competition manual to better understand the advancement processes.
Teams will compete in 3 League Meets and 1 League Tournament, on one day of each of the following 4 weekends. Teams will be provided an opportunity to pick their tournament days via the guidelines in the registration process:
Meet #1 - November 21/22, 2026 - Francis Parker School
Meet #2 - December 12/13, 2026 - Eastlake High School
Meet #3 - January 23/24, 2027 - Crawford High School
League Tournament - February 20/21, 2027 - Sage Creek High School
No official playoffs will occur at Meets 1-3
Teams will compete 5-6 times at each of their 3 "meets" to earn a total of 15-18 scored matches
The top 10 scores out of these will be the team's starting score for their subsequent League Tournaments (Championships)
League Tournaments will include judging, playoffs and potential advancement to the SD Regional scheduled for March 7th, 2027. Please read the advancement and league tournament portions of this year's Competition manual to better understand the advancement processes.
Team Tournament Requirements
- Teams must continue to provide a minimum of 1-2 volunteers at each event they participate in!
- Teams will be given a pit area outside with an approximate 10' x 10' area.
- Teams are required to bring their own pop-up tent (if desired).
- Teams are required to bring their own table for their pit area.
- NEW this Year: Power will NOT be provided to your pits. A central charging station for the event will be provided with enough outlets for each team to plug into one outlet. Please plan accordingly and consider the option of bringing your own battery powered charging bank to power any charging in your pits. Label your batteries and chargers.
Tournament Selection Process this year
Fully registered teams will be sent a tournament selection "link" on October 23rd. From this link teams will be able to select from the following options (locations are listed above and is the same for all teams):
Selection #1:
Euclid who competes in Week #1 on Saturday 11/21/2026 and at their League Championship (week #4) on Saturday 2/20/2027
Gauss who competes in Week #1 on Sunday 11/22/2026 and at their League Championship (week #4) on Saturday 2/20/2027
Turing who competes in Week #1 on Saturday 11/21/2026 and at their League Championship (week #4) on Sunday 2/21/2027
Descartes who competes in Week #1 on Sunday 11/22/2026 and at their League Championship (week #4) on Sunday 2/21/2027
(NOTE: Each combination is different, with one all Saturdays, one all Sundays, one Saturday then Sunday and one Sunday then Saturday)
Selection #2 for intra-league matches:
Pick Saturday 12/12/2026 or 12/13/2026 for Week #2
Selection #3 for intra-league matches:
Pick Saturday 1/23/2027 or 1/24/2027 for Week #3
Fully registered teams will be sent a tournament selection "link" on October 23rd. From this link teams will be able to select from the following options (locations are listed above and is the same for all teams):
Selection #1:
Euclid who competes in Week #1 on Saturday 11/21/2026 and at their League Championship (week #4) on Saturday 2/20/2027
Gauss who competes in Week #1 on Sunday 11/22/2026 and at their League Championship (week #4) on Saturday 2/20/2027
Turing who competes in Week #1 on Saturday 11/21/2026 and at their League Championship (week #4) on Sunday 2/21/2027
Descartes who competes in Week #1 on Sunday 11/22/2026 and at their League Championship (week #4) on Sunday 2/21/2027
(NOTE: Each combination is different, with one all Saturdays, one all Sundays, one Saturday then Sunday and one Sunday then Saturday)
Selection #2 for intra-league matches:
Pick Saturday 12/12/2026 or 12/13/2026 for Week #2
Selection #3 for intra-league matches:
Pick Saturday 1/23/2027 or 1/24/2027 for Week #3
FUN elimination matches during Meets 1-3
At Meets 1-3 teams will have an opportunity to compete in a fun elimination tournament that mimics how the League Tournaments will work. This FUN elimination event does not count towards a team's league rankings, is optional and team Captains will be selected randomly. More information on this format will be introduced during the meets.
At Meets 1-3 teams will have an opportunity to compete in a fun elimination tournament that mimics how the League Tournaments will work. This FUN elimination event does not count towards a team's league rankings, is optional and team Captains will be selected randomly. More information on this format will be introduced during the meets.
FAQs
What if we are not ready for the first meet?
Ask for help! We have experts and parts at The Hub. We also have experienced teams willing to help with building, coding and getting the robot moving! Teams have shown up to their first tournament with a half-built robot, received help with their code, learned a ton, joined the competition and had a blast.
What happens if our team misses a meet?
A team who misses a meet will be given zero scores for that meet which will naturally be the lowest that they would have accumulated during their first 3 Meets and subsequently dropped. But teams are highly encouraged to compete regardless of the status of their robot. The randomness of the meets minimizes any concerns teams should have about not being a good partner.
Can we be in the same League as a specific other team?
If you have logistical needs to ensure multiple teams are in the same league, please contact [email protected] to discuss.
What if we are not ready for the first meet?
Ask for help! We have experts and parts at The Hub. We also have experienced teams willing to help with building, coding and getting the robot moving! Teams have shown up to their first tournament with a half-built robot, received help with their code, learned a ton, joined the competition and had a blast.
What happens if our team misses a meet?
A team who misses a meet will be given zero scores for that meet which will naturally be the lowest that they would have accumulated during their first 3 Meets and subsequently dropped. But teams are highly encouraged to compete regardless of the status of their robot. The randomness of the meets minimizes any concerns teams should have about not being a good partner.
Can we be in the same League as a specific other team?
If you have logistical needs to ensure multiple teams are in the same league, please contact [email protected] to discuss.
More Questions? Just ask Matt Nilsen, Program Delivery Partner at [email protected]
| biobuzz_unofficial_change_summary.pdf |